Live user authentication device, system and method

Inventors

Oung, Stephen • HOLLINGER, Avrum Douglas • SIMEONOV, Gregor • Ranjan, Abhishek

Assignees

Nymi Inc

Abstract

Described are various embodiments of a digital user authentication device, the device comprising: a user authentication interface operable to receive as input unique user identification data required to execute a digital user authentication process; a distinct physiological sensor operable to interface with the user to acquire a physiological signal from the user to automatically confirm a live user presence during said authentication process; and a digital data processor and computer-readable memory operable to execute computer-readable instructions to invoke said user authentication process based on said unique user identification data while confirming said live user presence based on said physiological signal such that a successful user authentication is only concluded upon confirmation of said live user presence during said authentication process. Various authentication, access authorization and revocation systems and processes are also described.

Core Innovation

The disclosure describes a wireless digital user authentication device and system in which a wearable user authentication interface is worn by an authorized user and receives input via an authorized user finger contact. The wearable user authentication interface captures a user finger image via the same authorized user finger contact as input for unique user identification data required to execute a digital user authentication process, while a distinct physiological sensor interfaces with the authorized user via the same user finger contact at a distinct wearable user contact location to simultaneously acquire a physiological signal comprising a time-variable waveform.

During the user authentication process, the device invokes the user authentication process based on the unique user identification data while confirming live user presence based on the physiological signal so that successful user authentication is only concluded upon confirmation of the live user presence during the authentication process. The confirmation includes comparing the time-variable waveform with a generic non-user-specific physiological signal profile to confirm live user presence irrespective of user identity upon time-variable waveform matching, and denial occurs when the waveform is attenuated or corrupted relative to the generic non-user-specific physiological signal profile.

The disclosure further describes wireless communication of an authenticated user signal to a wireless access point after successful authentication. It also includes revocation and continuity concepts including denial or revocation based on subsequent physiological signal behavior, and revocation upon detection of device removal and/or loss of proximity to an access point, together with architectural concepts for authorization signaling and administrative/profile control.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims cover three main aspects: a wearable device that performs finger-image-based identification with concurrent live-presence confirmation using a generic physiological profile, a wireless system that communicates an authenticated user signal to a wireless access point after successful authentication, and a computer-implemented authentication process that performs the same live-presence matching and denial logic in software. Across the independent claims, the inventive features are centered on dual sensing via a same finger contact to acquire both unique identification data and a time-variable physiological waveform, and on concluding authentication only when waveform matching to a generic non-user-specific physiological signal profile succeeds within a designated level of confidence while denying when the waveform is attenuated or corrupted.

Across the independent claims, authentication is structured so that unique user identification data from a wearable finger-contact biometric interface is used together with a concurrently acquired time-variable physiological waveform obtained via a distinct physiological sensor interface at a distinct wearable user contact location using the same finger contact. Successful authentication is concluded only when the waveform matches a generic non-user-specific physiological signal profile, and live user presence is denied when the waveform is automatically determined to be attenuated or corrupted; in the system claim, an authenticated user signal is then communicated wirelessly to a wireless access point for authentication.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications